How can I cruise without getting sick?

How Not to Get Sick on a Cruise
  1. See a travel medicine specialist before your trip. ...
  2. Pack your own hand sanitizer and travel-size disinfectant. ...
  3. Avoid common serving utensils. ...
  4. No sharing. ...
  5. Wash your hands obsessively. ...
  6. Eat your foods cooked. ...
  7. Skip unpasteurized foods. ...
  8. Use your own restroom.




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One of the biggest misconceptions about cruise ships is that they're germ incubators—that you can't escape. But the likelihood of catching a stomach bug on a seven-day voyage is less than 1 percent—which is about a third the risk of getting infected in your day-to-day life back home, says Dr.

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The lower you are, and more towards the middle of the ship, you will not feel it as much. Cabins at the front and back of the ship tend to sway the most, so you want to avoid any rooms in these areas.

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The cause of most cruise line norovirus outbreaks is contaminated food or water. The way it spreads is through physical contact. With over 3,000 people in close quarters aboard these ships, obviously, the disease spreads quickly. There is no real treatment for norovirus infections.

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Get Some Air If you start to feel the telltale signs of nausea, head out onto the deck for some fresh air. This change of environment will alleviate the rise in your body temperature (save that for a day on the beach in the Caribbean), and the wind in your face will help reduce uncomfortable sweating.

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To reduce motion sickness, choose a stateroom in the middle of the ship on a lower deck. You will feel any sway of the ship less in this section. Although it may seem counterintuitive, if you're worried about seasickness on a cruise, book a stateroom with a window or a veranda.

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Stay hydrated and get enough sleep. Use over-the-counter motion sickness medications or talk to your doctor about other medications that might help. Remind yourself that this adjustment is normal and will become easier to make over time.

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Commonly used medicines are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and scopolamine.

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In 2023, a decade-high number of cruise ships have reported an unwelcome passenger on board: norovirus. Outbreaks of the stomach bug have surged on cruise ships this year, reaching the highest levels seen in 10 years.

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Norovirus. On cruise ships, >90% of GI illness outbreaks with a confirmed cause are due to norovirus.

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As we mentioned, some passengers won't feel anything at sea, but for those who do, the good news is that seasickness usually only lasts a day or two. The effects tend to stop once the motion causing them does, or until we learn to adapt to the sensation.

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You might get less seasick Since inside cabins are closer to the center of a ship than outside ocean-view and balcony cabins, they can be more stable in rough seas. The trick is to find an inside cabin toward the center of the ship in both directions — lengthwise and widthwise.

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If you're worried about seasickness, pick a cabin that's as close to the water level as possible and in the center of the ship. You'll be at the ship's fulcrum point, which means you'll feel less movement than people on higher decks with cabins far forward or all the way at the back.

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Don't let the worry of seasickness stop you from booking a cruise. Many travelers have gone on dozens of voyages and never had an issue. Even if you do experience motion sickness on board, there are plenty of methods to stop that funny feeling in its tracks.

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Benjamin Shore, Chief Medical Consultant at Royal Caribbean, to break down the basics and whether it's actually common for guests to experience seasickness while vacationing at sea. “Considering the large size of today's cruise ships, seasickness is rarely a problem,” says Dr. Benjamin Shore.

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